University adds new war and peace major and certificate

Aug 16, 2010From staff reports

Beginning this fall, Ohio University undergraduates can major in Global Studies - War and Peace or earn a certificate in War and Peace Studies.

The new programs are among five majors and seven certificates offered through the Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (BAIS) program and will provide students with a broad and deep understanding of war and peace from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The major offers students the opportunity to connect their analytical understandings of war and peace to a particular area of the world and advances rigorous language study as well.

For many years, OHIO faculty have been helping students excel in the field of war and peace studies.

Patricia Weitsman, an expert in the field from the Department of Political Science, spearheaded the effort to develop the program, identifying war and peace studies faculty from across the university and organizing existing courses into a coherent program of study with the help of Laura Schaeffer, coordinator of undergraduate studies in the Center for International Studies, and the Faculty Advisory Board for the BAIS program.

"There are very few institutions worldwide that have the resources on hand to run a comprehensive war and peace studies program through an interdisciplinary unit," Weitsman said. "The major and certificate cohere as programs that address the most important topics in the study of war and peace."

Students who select the War and Peace Studies major or certificate will be prepared for careers in mediation, international business, counter-terrorism, homeland security, international banks, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, government agencies, think tanks, human rights organizations and the defense industry, among others.

"This is an exciting new opportunity for students which complements our historical foci on area studies and international development," said Daniel Weiner, executive director of the Center for International Studies.

The new major is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences and administered through the Center for International Studies. The certificate is housed and administered through the Center for International Studies.